A variety of thermal glove and mitten designs have been proposed which incorporate a chemical, electric or fuel-burning heating element within the glove or mitten shell for warming the hands of the wearer. Examples of such gloves, which are generally designed for cold temperature, outdoor activities such as snow skiing, are described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,970,081 issued to Eisendrath on Aug. 14, 1934; U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,671 issued to Monk on Oct. 1, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,482 issued to Spector et al. on Aug. 20, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,579 issued to Dunford on May 10, 1988; and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,003 issued to Rinehart on Jul. 30, 1991.
Representative of these designs, Eisendrath (U.S. Pat. No. 1,970,081) discloses a thermal mitten having an inner lining and outer covering layer with a closeable pocket of waterproof material in between the inner and outer layers above the back hand portion of the glove. The pocket is designed to receive a chemical heating packet activated by wetting to impart heat to the hand of the wearer. In a comparable design, Monk (U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,671) discloses a thermal mitten having a closeable pouch formed in a lining of the mitten at the front (finger portion) or back hand portion of the mitten, the pouch being adapted to receive a heating element. In another comparable design, Dunford (U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,579) discloses a winter sports mitten having a heater pocket between an exterior face and inner glove lining of the mitten to receive a chemical heat pack.
In yet additional related designs, Rinehart (U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,003) and Spector et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,482) disclose thermal gloves heated by a chemical pack, or fuel-burning pocket warmer, respectively, contained within a pocket formed between inner and outer lining layers of the glove. Rinehart further discloses a liquid filled bladder coextensive with the glove lining, i.e., surrounding the palm and fingers, for distributing heat or cold generated by an exothermic or endothermic, chemical heat pack from the wrist portion of the glove to the extremities of the fingers. Spector et al. disclose a comparable design which uses strips of thermally conductive material extending along the thumb and fingers to distribute heat generated by a fuel-burning hand warmer throughout the hand, particularly to the vulnerable finger extremities.
Numerous problems attend the foregoing thermal glove and mitten designs. Among these problems is a typically heavy glove construction and bulky heat pack design which is poorly adapted for different environments and activities other than cold weather sports. Thus, these bulky designs may be poorly adapted for light activities such as walking and driving, or for indoor use such as in the work place.
In addition, each of the heat packs previously disclosed for use with gloves or mittens (including chemical, electrical and fuel-burning heat packs) all produce a more or less constant and uncontrollable level of heating or cooling energy, whereby a higher or lower level of heating or cooling cannot be selected by the user for maximum comfort suited to different environments and activities. Thus, these packs are again poorly adapted for use in different environments and activities ranging from cold outdoor sporting activities, to mild weather and light activity use, to indoor use such as in the work place. In the latter case, the non-adjustable heating capacity of prior art thermal gloves and mittens is not conducive to therapeutic uses of such devices in an indoor setting, e.g., to alleviate computer strain or other technical work-related strain such as that caused by laboratory work. In addition, each of the previously disclosed heat packs fails to provide a fast, repeatably rechargeable heating or cooling source, which is desired for long-term use, e.g., for long term therapeutic use during extended technical work activities.
In addition to the foregoing deficiencies, the construction of previously known thermal gloves and mittens is generally designed for manual shielding and thermal protection only. None of these gloves or mittens incorporate a therapeutic or prosthetic construction, e.g., a specifically adapted thermal design or, in addition or alternatively, a support element to alleviate orthopedic stresses such as those caused by prolonged computer use and other technical activities such as high tech and electronic assembly and laboratory work. Moreover, the bulky designs of previously known thermal gloves and mittens are ill-adapted for use in conjunction with such technical activities, which typically require unimpeded dexterity and tactile sensitivity.
Beyond the field of thermal gloves and mittens designed for cold outdoor sporting activities, a variety of therapeutic devices are known in the medical arts which feature a heating or cooling element, such as thermal gel-packs adapted to warm or cool injured portions of a patient's body. Thus, Stout (U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,267, issued Jun. 9, 1987) discloses an orthopedic therapy device featuring a body of thermal gel which can be heated or refrigerated to provide appropriate thermal treatment to an injured portion of a patient's body, e.g., an elbow, hand, or ankle. In one embodiment, Stout depicts an orthopedic wrap formed of stretch fabric with securing ties which encases a body of thermal gel, which wrap is designed for thermal treatment of body parts such as ankles, elbows and other joints. Alternatively, Stout discloses a thermal mitt for treatment of an injured hand, which mitt is bulky and features upper and lower, hand-shaped thermal gel bodies for warming or cooling the injured hand. The mitt is heated or cooled and then placed over a fabric glove which is pre-fitted onto the patient's hand. In a comparable disclosure, U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,596, issued to Walasek et al. on Sep. 24, 1991, teaches a bulky thermal mitt adapted to surround a patient's hand and provide heat or cold treatment thereto. Like Stout, Walasek et al. features a large gel body, coextensive with the outline of the palm and fingers.
As in the case of the outdoor thermal gloves and mittens, discussed above, numerous problems also attend the foregoing designs for therapeutic heat compresses and mitts, particularly in the context of activities other than immobile patient therapy. Again, the problem of heavy mitt construction and bulky heat pack design render these devices poorly adapted for different environments and activities other than treating injuries of an immobilized body part. In fact, these designs are poorly adapted for any active use, particularly any active use requiring unimpaired dexterity and tactile sensitivity such as computer use, assembly manipulation, and laboratory work.
In addition to the above described, outdoor thermal gloves and mitts and heat therapeutic wraps and mitts, previous designs are also disclosed for prosthetic wraps, splints and other supports to shield or immobilize body parts to treat and/or prevent injury. Thus, the prior art includes various wraps and splints that provide structural support for immobilizing or otherwise protecting such body parts as the hand, wrist or forearm. For example, a number of wraps and splints are specially designed for treating carpal tunnel syndrome caused by cumulative motion trauma, e.g., among grocery checkers. These supports are generally in the form of a partial brace conforming to the wrist and proximal half of the metacarpal portion of the hand, joined to a splint member extending up the forearm, which design limits repetitive impacts and vibrations affecting the wearer's wrist.
Other prosthetic devices are specially adapted to protect only the wearer's hand or specific parts thereof, and therefore do not extend to the wrist and/or forearm. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,418, issued to Janevski et al. on Sep. 27, 1994. This device is a splint having a rigid shell shaped to fit the center portion of the hand. The shell has a compressible gel pad attached to an inner surface thereof. The gel pad limits injury caused by external pressures or blows and also helps to desensitize incision sites and other trauma on the hand.
As in the case of the outdoor thermal gloves and mittens and heat therapeutic wraps and mitts, discussed above, prosthetic wraps and splints are also limited in terms of the range of environments and activities for which they may be used. In particular, these prosthetic devices generally lack a thermal construction or heating element, and are therefore not suited for outdoor or heat therapeutic activity. Likewise, these designs are poorly adapted for active use, because their general purpose is for immobilization or protection to prevent or treat injury. In this regard, prosthetic devices are particularly ill-suited for active use requiring unimpaired dexterity and tactile sensitivity, such as computer use, assembly manipulation, and laboratory work.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a thermal glove which is well adapted for different environments and activities, including cold weather sports, light activities such as walking and driving, and indoor use such as for manual manipulative work.
It is an additional object of the invention to satisfy the above object in a thermal glove having a non-chemical, non-electrical and non-fuel-burning heat pack, and which incorporates a heat pack that produces a controllable level of heating or cooling energy, whereby a higher or lower level of heating or cooling can be selected by the user for maximum comfort suited to different environments and activities.
It is a related object of the invention to provide a thermal glove incorporating a heat pack having an adjustable heating capacity adapted to therapeutic uses associated with activities undertaken in an indoor setting, e.g., to alleviate computer strain and other technical work-related strain such as may be caused by laboratory work.
It is a further object that the heat pack incorporated within the thermal glove be adapted for fast, safe, and repeatable recharging suitable for long-term use, for example therapeutic use during extended technical work activities.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a thermal glove satisfying the foregoing objects which also incorporates a therapeutic or prosthetic construction, e.g., having a specifically adapted thermal design for delivering heat or cooling to a specified portion of the user's hand, wrist and/or forearm, and optionally including a support element to alleviate orthopedic stresses such as may be caused by prolonged computer use and other technical activities.
It is still a further object of the invention to satisfy the foregoing objects in a thermal glove adapted for use in technical activities which require unimpeded dexterity and tactile sensitivity, such as computer use and laboratory work.